Robin Soderling struggled to a patchy if encouraging victory Wednesday to open play at the Estoril Open as Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made a miserable debut at the clay court event. Top seed Soderling was looking on the bright side after coasting in the first and last sets but fighting for his life in the second to emerge with a 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1 defeat of France's Jeremy Chardy.
Tsonga, like Soderling playing his first career match at the Estadio Nacionale, was much less successful as he went down quietly to Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-2, 7-6 (7/0). The third seed had little to offer after the loss, his second from three played on clay this spring. "It was perfect conditions, but my opponent played well and I didn't," said the former Australian Open finalist.
"There was nothing special in the match or in my game today. "I have nothing to regret, my goal is still to win grand slams and big tournaments. I guess I must think of this as practise. I will still work hard and seriously with Madrid (Masters 1000) coming up."
Tsonga, ranked 18th, has reached the quarter-finals or better three times already this year on hardcourt - and he won a round in Monte Carlo before losing to Ivan Ljubicic.
A third French player lost as Brazilian sixth seed Thomaz Bellucci defeated Eduard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Top seed Soderling needed almost two hours to go past Chardy, ranked 53rd, who put up a huge struggle at the midway point of the second-round contest. Soderling is making what amounts to his start on the clay as the run-up to Roland Garros takes flight. In women's play, the top three seeds reached the last eight, with number one Alisa Kleybanova of Russia putting out Mathlide Johansson of France 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.
Second seed Jarmila Gajdosova won a battle with fellow Australian Casey Dellacqua, playing for the first time on the WTA since Wimbledon due to injury, 6-2, 6-4. Czech number three Klara Zakopalova came back against Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Sixth seed Elena Vesnina of Russia and number eight Hungarian Greta Arn were beaten.